Six Awesome Day Trips: Kansas |
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From Check-it-off Travel:
Though Kansas is sometimes referred to as one of the “fly over states,” each of the travel regions has amazing points of interest and a wide range of outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy. For decades thousands of people migrated across the Sunflower State on the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails. The famous Lewis & Clark Expedition, Pony Express Mail Service, and the Chisholm Trail are all part of Kansas’ captivating past. Today, a trip through Kansas will uncover its Native American roots, cowboy culture, European influences, aviation history, and, of course, the location of one of America’s most-loved movies— The Wizard of Oz. Our day trip recommendations start from Wichita and highlight some of the state’s amazing things to do.
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Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau Receives Grants |
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The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism recently announced its fall round Tourism Marketing Grant recipients and the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau will receive an $8,489 grant to assist with the development, printing, and distribution of the 2021 Abilene Visitors Guide.
“COVID-19 has not only affected travel, but it has also affected the CVB’s budget.” said Julie Roller Weeks, Abilene CVB Director. “The CVB is funded through Transient Guest Tax, which is a tax travelers pay when staying in one of Abilene’s lodging establishments. While our budget decreased, I’m proud we are able to identify and receive outside funding to bring this project to fruition.”
The completed project is expected to cost $21,500 and will feature Abilene tourism attractions, restaurants, retail shopping, and lodging properties. The guide will be available on the CVB’s website, mailed to potential visitors, placed in visitor bags, and distributed in gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and other locations along Kansas I-70. It will also be consistent with the Abilene CVB's new branding and website.
In addition to the Tourism Marketing Grant from KDWPT, the CVB also received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Dickinson County to complete this project.
“The grant from the Community Foundation of Dickinson County helps us to reach our match requirement for this special project,” Roller Weeks said. “We recognize businesses and attractions are struggling and have limited dollars available to spend on advertising. The CVB is a valuable partner and continues to market Abilene as a tourist destination.”
Other recipients of the KDWPT Tourism Marketing Grant include:
- Chase Co. Chamber of Commerce: Strategic Marketing Plan and Website Enhancements
- eXplore Lawrence: Website Redesign
- The Barn at Kill Creek, DeSoto: Website Redesign and Media Updates
For more information about the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, visit AbileneKansas.org.
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5 Ways to Explore Abilene's Cowboy Culture |
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Visit these sites to learn about life as a cowboy and Abilene’s Wild West history when millions of longhorn cattle were herded up the Chisholm Trail here from Texas to be shipped east by rail: |
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Watch can-can dancers while drinking sarsaparilla inside the Alamo Saloon in this replica of Abilene when it was a cattle town. Gunfight re-enactments in the street occur April through October and can-can dancers begin performing in May. Inside the Great Western Cattle Co. stands a model of historic Abilene. There’s also the Merchants Hotel, W.R. Wilson General Store, church, carriage house, cabin, and other historic buildings. |
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2. Old Town Site Guidepost |
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View a map of the original Texas Street, made famous by cowboys who, after driving herds of longhorns here from Texas, celebrated by frequenting the saloons and other businesses that operated in the late 1860s when Abilene was at the end of the Chisholm Trail. |
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A boulder with a sign erected in 1926 marks the historic Cattle Trail that brought millions of longhorns from Texas to Abilene for shipment east by railroad. The marker was placed by the Abilene Chapter NSDAR. |
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4. Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad |
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This excursion train, when pulled by a steam engine, reflects the mode of transportation that shipped longhorn cattle to markets in the east in the late 1860s. The train travels through the Smoky Valley in which the longhorns may have grazed after their long journey from Texas. From May through October, a diesel-electric engine pulls the train on rides that depart at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays, while the steam engine operates on holidays and during special events. |
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5. World's Largest Spur/Rittel's Western Wear |
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Created in correct proportion to a cowboy’s spur worn on the heel of each boot, this metal piece of art stands 28 feet high and weighs one ton. It was certified as the World's Largest Spur by Guinness World Records until 2017. Step inside the store to purchase your own cowboy or cowgirl attire, tack, and home décor. |
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"When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing and as we sat there in the warmth of the summer afternoon on a river bank, we talked about what we wanted to do when we grew up. I told him that I wanted to be a real major league baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he'd like to be President of the United States. Neither of us got our wish."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau
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